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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532367">Poisonous Temptation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gunschute/pseuds/Gunschute'>Gunschute</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Batuu Shenanigans [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Let them kiss, M/M, but hey it's a full scene so that's all that matters!, but hey? who cares, okay but yeah this was written before the ride opened and the layout was made known, short and sweet, so its not gonna be accurate to what you get at the park, soft zadex, someone read my fics and left me a nice anon so as a treat imma share another bit, this is old</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:42:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,770</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gunschute/pseuds/Gunschute</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Archex still isn't quite sure of what to make of Zade just yet, but he's willing to explore his options. Still, the man proves to be an ever present nuisance. But it's almost endearing, in an odd sort of way, isn't it? Maybe Vi was right.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zade Kalliday/Archex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Batuu Shenanigans [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Poisonous Temptation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Archex was pleased to note that Pook's information about where Zade had headed off to proved to be right. Though it was rather late, the last two suns starting to set and casting the planet into an odd sort of golden-orange light with a tint of red, Archex still strove towards the nearby cenote. Soon finding the familiar sight of Zade, the smuggler crouched down and peering into the water that was booby trapped with poisonous anemones. And filled with tempting treasure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I do hope you're not thinking of going after that fool's treasure," Archex scolded, well aware of the fact that Zade in fact </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> thinking of just that. No doubt wondering if it could pay off what he owed Oga. Archex vaguely wondered if Zade would ditch them the second he was able to get back his ship and it brought a frown to his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean, could you blame me?" Zade grinned, looking back over his shoulder towards Archex, "It's potentially worth a good sum of credits…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You'll die," Archex's voice was flat, as he finally approached Zade and peered in as well. Untempted by the treasure that lay beneath the water.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm wondering if we could fish it out somehow…" Zade trailed off before shrugging, leaning back and looking up to Archex with a hint of a grin, "What do you think?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"With all the planned booby traps they had set up, I doubt that's a very safe idea."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zade sighed, standing up now to easily tower over Archex and offered him a mischievous smirk, "Never know until you try it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're not seriously considering trying it are you? Do I've to tell Vi to order you to stay away from here?" Though Archex's words were mostly teasing, he was genuinely suspicious of the smuggler deciding to pull something stupid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Pft, that wouldn't stop me and you know it." Zade then paused, glancing back towards the cenote before focusing back on Archex and winking, "Besides. Can't go off dying like an idiot until I get you to like me, now can I?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Archex found himself quirking an eyebrow, unable to fight off the tells of a grin that played at his lips as he eyed Zade carefully, "Is that all that's keeping you alive? My not liking you? You must have a death wish, then."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, absolutely." Zade's grin widened, blue eyes now gleaming before his face shifted to one of surprise once he put two and two together, leaning down closer to Archex, "Ah, are you falling for me, Archex?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wouldn't put it like that," Archex insisted, shaking his head and thinking back to what Vi had said earlier. Maybe it was the right wording, but far be it for Archex to admit to such a thing. It'd probably only prove to show him for the fool he is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alas! I suppose death escapes me for yet another day then. What a shame." Archex rolled his eyes at Zade's theatrics, not shrugging the man off as Zade clasped Archex's shoulder, "Guess I've to just try harder."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"To die?" Archex questioned in immediate confusion, unamused at the mere thought of it even if it were Zade just being Zade and a nuisance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"To get you to like me back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The words, paired with the hand resting on his shoulder, was enough to urge Archex closer. Before a flashback of what had occurred with Vi all those weeks ago had him freezing and yanking back, freeing himself from Zade's grasp and turning away. Archex crossed his arms tightly across his chest and frowned heavily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry…" Zade's voice was soft, speaking the word that Archex found caught in his own throat. It prompted Archex to turn back to see the smuggler looking away and sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck. He almost seemed smaller, and had it not been such a serious circumstance Archex figured he might have otherwise found the factor humorous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"For… what?" Archex prompted slowly, arms loosening in their self-embrace as he tried to catch Zade's eye, for as useless as the attempt proved to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"All that. The flirting? Everything. I just." Zade was frowning at the cenote now, the hand that had been rubbing at the back of his neck gesturing out as if fishing for words, "I'd figured I'd felt something."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... a connection?" Archex ventured, voice soft and finally earning Zade's eye contact. It made him tense up all over again, "I… feel it too but I'm. Not good at this."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"At what? Bantering? Kissing?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Archex found himself flushing as he glanced away, an arm dropping as he offered up half a shrug, "All of that? Emotions? Connections?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He saw Zade begin to reach out before pulling his hand back to himself, and before he registered what he was doing, Archex reached out and grasped the hand. Holding as tightly as he'd dare. Zade didn't move to pull away, which he considered good enough for now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not very experienced in all this stuff, believe it or not…" Archex continued, and at Zade's faint snort he fixed the taller man with a sharp glare.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm very much aware of that." Zade patted the hand holding his with his free one, before finally finding that confidence that was usually about him and daring to reach up and place it on Archex's cheek, blue eyes seeming to search him for something, "If it makes you feel any better this exact feeling is new to me, too."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It does not," Archex huffed, but found himself leaning into Zade's touch. Eying the other man as well, feeling himself leaning in once again, "... so is. Is kissing on the table, or?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of answering verbally, Zade leaned in himself— closing what little distance was left between the two of them and softly pressing his lips to Archex's.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zade's lips, Archex noted, were soft. Not that he should have been as surprised as he felt at the sensation, but still it caught him off guard. The kiss was short and sweet. A sort of test kiss more than anything— and when Zade pulled away and Archex found he had to blink his eyes open, he was grateful it wasn't much longer than it was. He felt winded, and he wasn't sure if it was the new experience that had done that to him, or the ever present injury to his lung.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He noticed, with irritation, that had it not been for Zade's hold he'd likely had teetered over. Feeling the other man's grip only loosen once it was apparent Archex had caught his breath once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Would ya lookit that," Zade grinned wide, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes all the warning Archex had before Zade's jarring tease, "I took your breath away."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Archex harshly swatted Zade's hand away from his cheek and retaliated the comment with a hard push. Though it caused his leg to flare up, it brought a satisfied smirk to Archex's face when Zade stumbled back at the force. He wondered if he could have knocked the annoying man over if he'd really wanted to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>pushy</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Zade laughed, dusting himself off before straightening that darned blazer of his, "Careful you don't shove me right into the cenote, eh?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't give me any ideas. Might actually get away with murder with that one." Though he'd doubted it; Vi wasn't likely to believe that even drunk Zade would be foolish enough to die by poisonous cenote.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"D'aw, you wouldn't kill me. You'd secretly miss me." Zade skirted around Archex, though he's sure the man trusted Archex wouldn't actually murder him the possibility of an accident was still in the air. As such, Archex followed after Zade as he set off towards the forest, "You don't kiss people you want to murder. Or. Well…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Archex felt his head quirk at the odd look Zade shot back at him, "Well?" He prompted lowly, shouldering past Zade when he noticed he'd slowed down to allow Archex to catch up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You never know." There was a devious tone to Zade's voice that prompted Archex to turn around. Shuffling backwards carefully, mindful of his injured leg.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Huh. Maybe having emotions isn't a good idea after all." Archex felt the tells of a frown form on his face after those words left his mouth, and he turned back around. Feeling more than anything as Zade easily strode up beside him and looped an arm over Archex's shoulder as he'd taken to doing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's where most of the fun is, my dear Archie," Zade's voice was low, and somehow held a sort of wonder to it, "Figuring everything out. Building bonds that are strong… different. Forming relationships— good or bad— to spice up your life. Not everything is going to be straight forward and dull and orderly, darling. But that's what's </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span> about living."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Archie</span>
  </em>
  <span>…?" Archex echoed softly, looking to Zade who merely grinned at the question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I mean. Your name </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> Archex," Zade pointed out, helpfully. Quirking an eyebrow as he gently tugged Archex closer. An action that, for now, Archex allowed, "You're ignoring the point I just made."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's not that much shorter if you're going for a nickname," Archex grouced, bumping lightly into Zade and grinning faintly despite himself, "Though maybe… you've a point. I. Uh. Kinda was locked up, away from civilization for a chunk of my life. Most… of my life."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Archex felt more than heard Zade hum lowly, before the man replied, "So like some royalty, then, maybe?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You've read too many fairy tales…" Archex found himself shaking his head, peering at Zade from the corner of his eye, "But I suppose it's not entirely too far off. Depending on who you ask."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you two are finished canoodling," the sudden voice of Pook had Archex jolt away from Zade, glaring off towards the entrance into the ruins. He'd not been paying attention to how close they'd gotten back to base, "The food was about to burn so I took it off the fire. You humans. So scatter brained. Can't even do something as simple as cooking right."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Archex felt embarrassment burn at his flesh as he smacked a hand to his forehand with a soft cuss. He'd absolutely forgotten about having put something on. He wanted to be prepared for when the rest of the crew made it back from work, no doubt hungry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Does that mean it's done? I'm starving." Zade's voice dragged Archex back to the present and he huffed, shaking his head before gesturing for Zade to follow him in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just about. Hopefully I didn't ruin it…"</span>
</p>
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